Mechanism for encircling an article in a wrapper



NOV. 10, 1959 v, PEPlTONE ETAL 2,911,777

MECHANISM FOR ENCIRCLING AN ARTICLE IN A WRAPPER Filed Sept. 18, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 W T P ml w P N 5% T w mm A VY B Q no Nov. 10, 1959 v. PEPITONE ETAL 2,911,777

MECHANISM FOR ENCIRCLING AN ARTICLE IN A WRAPPER Filed Sept. 18, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 42 hfi I 46 i i 46 46 76 46 L40 T-L 76 INVENTOR V111 EEfi+ EIFJI cn'uz BY WM5 147 TOP/V15 Y5 1959 v. PEPITONE ETAL 2,911,777

MECHANISM FOR ENCIRCLING AN ARTICLE IN A WRAPPER Filed Sept. 18, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet s 'IIJ'IIIA Nov, 10, 1959 v. PEPITONE ETAL 2,911,777

MECHANISM FOR ENCIRCLING AN ARTICLE IN A WRAPPER Filed Sept. 18, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR5 .LLluHe? Luczs k BY 5 4 W United States Patent MECHANISM FOR ENCIRCLING AN ARTICLE IN A WRAPPER Vincent Pepitone, Brooklyn, ,N.Y., and Walter Luczek, Indian Orchard, Mass., assignors to Package Machinery Company, East Longmeadow, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Y Application September 18,1957, Serial No. 684,793

'1 Claim. 01. 53-228 4 The present invention relates to the wrapping of articles and more particularly to improved instrumentalities for completely encircling an article in a wrapper.

The object of the invention is to improve the speed, efliciency and reliability with which articles may be completely encircled in a wrapper.

The invention is particularly adapted, though not necessarily limited, to a wrapping machine environment of the type disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,810,246, Cornock et al., granted October 22, 1957. Fig. 21 of that patent particularly shows the environment referred to. The present invention is characterized by the provision of a member having a deflectable terminal portion which lays the trailing wrapper end against the bottom face of an article around which the wrapper is draped. This occurring after the leading wrapper end has been cleared from the bottom face of the article by a member leading the deflectable member. Thereafter the article is carried over a platform and the leading wrapper end is thereby laid against the bottom face of the article to complete its encirclement in the wrapper. Preferably, though not necessarily, the deflectable member will move through a path intersecting the mentioned platform in order that the trailing Wrapper end may be supported up to the last possible moment.

The above and other related objects and features of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description of the disclosure found in the accompanying drawings and the novelty thereof pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the present invention in the environment of Fig. 21 of the Cornock et al. Patent No. 2,810,246;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view looking in the direction of arrow A in Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3-6 are fragmentary views showing successive positions of certain elements seen in Fig. l and showing the manner in which encirclement of an article is completed.

The Cornock et a1. patent describes the constructional details of a large portion of the elements found in Fig. l and reference may be had thereto if such details are of interest.

Wrappers w (Fig. 1) are draped over articles a which are advanced by flights towards an overhead conveyor comprising chains 12 and padded gripping fingers 14. Each article a is gripped by a pair of fingers 14 and advanced over and beyond a platform 16. The articles are thus advanced over an opening into which the wrapper ends are free to extend, said opening being defined at one end by the platform 16 and at the other end by a second platform 18.

As the articles are advanced over said opening the wrapper ends are manipulated by instrumentalities of the present invention to complete the encirclement of the article, as will now be described in detail. A shaft 20 corresponding to a similar shaft in the aforesaid patent,

is rotated in timed relation to movement of the overhead conveyor, as by the indicated chain 22 .andarrangement' of sprockets 24, 26, 28 and 30. Hubs 32 (Figs. 1 and 2) are secured to the shaft 20 and a U-shaped rod or. bail 3-4 is secured therein as by set screws 36. Angularly spaced from and trailing the bail 34 is a member having are threaded into hubs 44 (seeFig. 2) also fast upon,

the shaft 20. Nuts 46 facilitate' adjustment of the brush 38 to a desired radial position as will further appear.

f The above-described underlap forming instrumentalities function in the following manner to complete the encirclement of a wrapper about an article. .In Fig. 3

an article a is seen as it is carried over the opening"be-' tween the platforms 16 and 18. The ends of wrapper w may fall freely into said opening under the influence of gravity or some sort of assist means may be provided as in the manner disclosed in application Serial No. 647,769, filed March 22, 1957 in the name of Cedric B. Cross, now matured as US. Patent No. 2,882,665.

It will be seen that both the article a and instrumentalities 34 and 38 are traveling in the same direction. However, the bail 34 and brush 38 are traveling at a faster relative speed whereby the leading wrapper end is engaged by the bail 34 and positively held away or cleared from the underface of the article a as is seen in Fig. 4.

With the leading wrapper end thus cleared, the brush 38 engages the trailing wrapper end and wipes it against the undersurface of the article as seen in Fig. 5. The leading wrapper end has been released by the bail 34 by this time; however, the primary function of said bail is merely to clear the leading wrapper end from the undersurface of the article for a time sufficient for the trailing wrapper end to be laid thereagainst by the brush 38.

The view of Fig. 5 shows the article a partially advanced over the platform 18. It will also be seen that the trailing wrapper end is fully supported by the brush 38, while the leading wrapper end will soon be snubbed against the beveled edge of the platform 18 upon continued advancement of said brush. This arrangement has been found particularly effective in assuring that the trailing wrapper end will at all times lie against the undersurface of the article and that the leading wrapper end will be lapped thereover with the wrapper length being held to a minimum.

It will be seen from Fig. 6 that, for all of this to be accomplished in this preferred manner, the path of travel of the brush 38 intersects the edge of platform 18. The brush, being deflectable is able to pass beyond the platform 18 and as noted above, will at the same time snub the leading Wrapper end to facilitate the formation of a tightly wrapped package.

Referring back to Fig. 1, it will be appreciated that the thus encircled articles may be advanced beyond the platform 18 to end tuckers and heat sealing instrumentalities, not a part of this invention, to complete the packaging operation.

While the above description relates to a single set of underlap forming instrumentalities it will, of course, be appreciated that a plurality of such sets could, in fact, be angularly spaced apart in the shaft 20. Further, the bail 34 and brush 38 could take other forms so long as their equivalents respectively cleared the leading wrapper end from the undersurface of the article and possessed a deflectable terminal portion.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as novel and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

In a wrapping machine having means for advancing articles with a wrapper draped over the top and extend- Patented Nov. 10, 1959 ing over and beyond the leading and trailing sides of each article, a first platform over which the articles are first advanced and a second platform spaced from said first platform along. the path'of article advance to providetan opening into which the wrapper ends extend as theyare-advanced beyond said first platform; underflap forming instrumentalities comprising a rotary element, first and second spaced members extending radially from said rotary element and angularly spaced apart and movahlein said opening in the same general direction. as and at. a faster rate than. that of the articles and in a path intersecting the wrapper ends extending into said opening, said second member having a defiectable terminal portion in the form of a brush extending outwardly further than saidfi'rst member and with its path of move- 15 ment intersecting the edge of said second platform at said opening,.said firstimember being rigid and having a radial length sufficient to intersect the path of advance of the the trailing wrapper end to lay it against the bottom face of the article and guide said trailing end above said second 10 platform as the article is advanced thereover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cornock Oct. 22, 1957 

